Hebe plant named &#39;hop107&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hebe  plant named ‘HOP107’, characterized by its compact and upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit with numerous purplish pink-colored flowers; and long flowering period.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Varieties of Hebe Plants

Inventor/Applicant: Rudolf Johannes Hopmans

Filed: May 20, 2022

Ser. No. 63/344,425

Inventor and Applicant/Assignee hereby claim the priority benefit of this provisional U.S. Patent Application.

Botanical designation: Hebe Comm. ex. Juss.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HOP107’

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Firma E. Hopmans of Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands on Apr. 20, 2021, application number 2021/1074. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hebe plant, botanically known as Hebe Comm. ex. Juss typically grown as a potted plant and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘HOP107’.

The new Hebe plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new compact Hebe plants with attractive flowers.

The new Hebe plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of Hebe Comm. ex. Juss. ‘Zebora’, not patented. The new Hebe plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor on a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Zebora’ grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands in October, 2018.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hebe plant by terminal stem cuttings in a controlled environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands since February, 2019 has shown that the unique features of this new Hebe plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hebe have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘HOP107’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘HOP107’ as a new and distinct Hebe plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright to outwardly spreading and unifot filly         mounding plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3 Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit with numerous purplish pink-colored         flowers.     -   5. Long flowering period.

Plants of the new Hebe differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent, ‘Zebora’, in flower color as plants of the new Hebe have purplish pink-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Zebora’ have bluish purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Hebe can be compared to plants of Hebe Comm. ex. Juss. ‘Zita’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Hebe differ primarily from plants of ‘Zita’ in plant habit as plants of the new Hebe are more compact than and not as upright as plants of ‘Zita’. In addition, plants of the new Hebe have smaller leaves than plants of ‘Zita’.

Plants of the new Hebe can also be compared to plants of Hebe Comm. ex. Juss. ‘HOP102’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,444. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Hebe differ primarily from plants of ‘HOP102’ in flower color as plants of the new Hebe have purplish pink-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘HOP102’ have purplish red-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the Hebe plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Hebe plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘HOP107’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photograph and following description were grown in 13-cm containers during the summer and early autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Hebe production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16C. to 20C. and night temperatures ranged from 12C. to 16C. Plants were pinched one time about one month after planting and were five months old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Hebe Comm. ex. Juss. ‘HOP107’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Hebe Comm. ex.     Juss. ‘Zebora’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 18C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at             temperatures about 20C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 40 days             at temperatures about 18C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 50 days             at temperatures about 20C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; typically             white to brown in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant type.—Evergreen perennial shrub.         -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact and upright to outwardly             spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; vigorous             growth habit and moderate to rapid growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 20.6             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 21.1             cm.         -   Plant width.—About 37.7 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit with about six primary branches, each with             about eleven secondary branches; pinching enhances lateral             branching potential. Length (excluding inflorescence): About             8.8 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Internode length: About             1.7 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to about 55 degrees             from vertical. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent;             slightly glossy. Color, developing: Close to 144B. Color,             developed: Close to a blend of 177A and 178A; towards the             base, close to 200B; at the internodes, close to 183C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic to close to oblong.         -   Apex.—Bluntly acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire; slightly revolute and slightly and coarsely             undulate; not lobed.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous; not             rugose; moderately glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous; not             rugose; slightly glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Darker than a blend             of 144A and 146A; towards the margins and midvein, close to             176A and 176B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             148B slightly tinged with close to 176B; towards the             margins, close to 178A; midvein, close to 183A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137B; towards the             base, close to 145A; narrow margins, close to 177A;             venation, close to N200B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close 146B; narrow margins, close to 177A;             venation, close to 183B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm by             4.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color,             upper surface: Close to 145A tinged with close to 177D to             lighter than 177D. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B to             146C tinged with close to 183A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers             arranged on dense axillary racemes; flowers face mostly             outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 100             flowers developing per inflorescence and about 7,200 flowers             developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 140             days after planting; plants flower continuously from the             summer into the autumn in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant;             flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Texture and luster: Moderately to densely             pubescence; matte. Color: Developing sepals, close to 147B             tinged with close to 183B; developing petals, close to 63B.         -   Inflorescence height (length).—About 6.4 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6 mm by 6.5 mm.         -   Flower height.—About 1 cm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Tube length.—About 1.5 mm.         -   Tube diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four arranged in a single             whorl; petals fused about 30% of the petal length from the             base. Length, all petals: About 6.5 mm. Width, upper petal:             About 3.5 mm. Width, lateral petals: About 3 mm. Width,             lower petal: About 2 mm. Shape, upper and lateral petals:             Obovate; slightly concave. Shape, lower petal: Narrowly             obovate; slightly concave. Apex, upper petal: Obtuse. Apex,             lateral and lower petals: Bluntly acute. Margin: Entire;             slightly involute; not undulate. Texture and luster, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, lower             surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Texture and             luster, throat and tube: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to N66C. When             opening, lower surface: Close to N66D. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 68B; venation, close to 68B; color             becoming closer to 73D with subsequent development. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 68B to 68C; venation, close             to 68B to 68C; color becoming closer to 73D with subsequent             development. Throat: Close to 77B; venation, close to 77B.             Tube: Close to a 77B and N78C; venation, close 77B and N78C;             color becoming closer to 77C with subsequent development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four arranged in a single             whorl and fused at the base. Length: About 3 mm. Width:             About 1.25 mm. Shape: Narrowly ovate to close to oblong.             Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture             and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture             and luster, lower surface: Moderately to densely pubescent;             matte. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 146B. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 147B slightly tinged with close to 183B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 8.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Aspect: About 55 degrees from stem axis. Strength: Strong.             Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; slightly glossy.             Color: Close to 146B; proximally, close to 183A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Aspect: About 70 degrees from peduncle axis. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent;             matte. Color: Close to 146B.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: One at the base of             each flower. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:             Narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.             Filament length: About 8 mm. Filament color: Close to 64C.             Anther size: About 0.75 mm by 2 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther color: Close to N77B. Pollen amount: None detected.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             8 mm. Stigma diameter: About 5 mm. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma color: Greyish white. Style length:             About 7.95 mm. Style color: Close to 72A. Ovary color: Close             to 143C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development has             not been observed on plants of the new Hebe. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Hebe have not     been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hebe     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Hebe have exhibited good     garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind, temperatures     ranging from about −7C to about 40C and to be suitable for USDA     Hardiness Zones 8 to 11. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hebe plant named ‘HOP107’ as illustrated and described. 